Theory of Change

In the Chicago area alone, over 5,000 college students are pursuing degrees in business, economics, social policy and other related fields. In the classroom, these future leaders are honing their minds to address the social ills of tomorrow; however, campusCATALYST believes that they can and should take action today. With a support network of the country's top professors, business school students, and professional consultants as mentors, students will not only be able to provide tangible solutions for nonprofits, but they will be able to take part in a rich social entrepreneurship experience. Through program participation, campusCATALYST hopes to demonstrate to students how career and commitment to community can be one and the same.

campusCATALYST's aims are three-fold: to improve nonprofits' capacity and effectiveness, to provide student leaders with the tools and opportunity to drive organizational change and to create a more coherent social service network within communities. To accomplish the third goal, campusCATALYST will focus on five issue areas: housing, youth & education, jobs & economic security, health, and arts & culture. Through strategic selection of local nonprofits with overlapping client demographics, campusCATALYST teams will address not only tactical operations, marketing, communications and development, but will focus on partnership building in an effort to transform the complex web of nonprofits into a more seamless social service safety net.